- Agency
- University of Central Arkansas
- Location
- Conway, AR
- Job Category
- Graduate Assistantships
- Salary
- 10,000 per academic year, summer funding potential
- Start Date
- 08/15/2023
- Last Date to Apply
- 03/01/2023
- Description
- Research opportunity focusing on thermal ecology and conservation at the University of Central Arkansas I’m recruiting a graduate student (M.S.) for the Fall 2023 semester to study thermal ecology, behavior, and conservation of Eastern Collared Lizards in Arkansas. Eastern Collared Lizards are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Arkansas. Decline of collared lizard populations appears a result of alterations to the thermal environment on Ozark glades as a consequence of anthropogenic fire suppression. Our work in this system aims to use fine scale mapping of the thermal environment, behavioral observations, and individual based modeling to determine the mechanisms causing decline and to inform ongoing habitat restoration efforts. This opportunity represents a collaboration between myself and researchers at the University of Arkansas and staff at the US Forest Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Ideal candidates for this position have experience and an interest in herpetology, field ecology, and conservation. Students with a computational modeling interest are also encouraged to apply. A significant component of this research will be in the field, sometimes under harsh (i.e., HOT) conditions. All field sites are in relatively close proximity to the University. Student support would be by a Teaching Assistantship (TA), which includes a full tuition waiver. Minimum admission requirements and other details for the MS program at the University of Central Arkansas can be found at the following website: https://uca.edu/biology/msbiology/. Program application deadline is March 1, 2023 for Fall semester admission. Please send initial inquiries via email to me at: megifford@uca.edu. Also, feel free to check out general information about my lab and our past research at the Gifford Lab website: giffordlab.weebly.com.
- Qualifications
- Ideal candidates for this position have experience and an interest in herpetology, field ecology, and conservation. Students with a computational modeling interest are also encouraged to apply. A significant component of this research will be in the field, sometimes under harsh (i.e., HOT) conditions. All field sites are in relatively close proximity to the University.
- Contact Person
- Matt Gifford
- Contact eMail
- megifford@uca.edu
